







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | |
| Oh really? That's not good. | |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | |
| My laptop is in it. | |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | |
| But I don't know him well. | |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | |
| No, what is that? | |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | |
| So does that mean you don't want to stay with me? | |
| I hate taking long flights! | |
| 360 degrees should be good. | |
| I like girls' nights out. | |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | |